


01:53am

by Swashbuckler



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Gen, Late Night Conversations, Male-Female Friendship, Tea, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:40:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25030273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swashbuckler/pseuds/Swashbuckler
Summary: Linda can't sleep because Wally snores.
Relationships: Linda Park & Hartley Rathaway, Linda Park/Wally West
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	01:53am

Click. Click. Click.

Linda dragged her fingers through her hair. She leant her head against her hand, knuckles pressing against her temple as she flicked from one TV channel to the next.

Bright screen _flick_ too much colour _flick_ too busy _flick_ \--

She rubbed the backs of her fingers over one closed eye and flicked back to the news, subtitles flitting across the bottom of the screen.

_\--reduction in government funding has led to a surge in school children without suitable after-school extracurriculars--_

Linda sighed and sank deeper into the cushions.

The patter of socked feet on the stairs made her twist and peer over the back of the sofa.

"Can't sleep?" Hartley asked without surprise. He must've heard her long before he'd come downstairs. 

Linda hummed. She shifted her chin into her hand as she watched Hartley walk past her into the dark kitchen.

"Wally snores."

Hartley's soft snort was followed by the click and rumble of the coffee maker. "I know, why do you think I soundproofed my room when I lived with him?"

Linda frowned. "He told me that was because you didn't want to disturb him while you worked during the night."

"Mm," Hartley said, voice lilting into the living room, "and that is what I told him."

Linda huffed out an amused noise and shook her head.

"You want a drink?" Hartley called quietly.

Linda glanced at the time glaring at her in the corner of the news screen. "Do we have any tea left?" 

"You haaaave--" Piper opened the cupboard. "Mint, camomile, lemon, and lemon and honey."

"Camomile, please, if you're making."

There was another click and a hiss of steam mixing with a gurgle of water. Linda registered the tink of a teaspoon against a mug before one was being handed to her over the back of the sofa.

"Oh-- thanks, Hart."

"That doesn't explain why you're awake now though," Hartley continued as he joined her on the sofa, "as Wally isn't here."

Linda blew gently on her tea. "It's too quiet in the house without him," she clarified. "I guess I got used to it; it's weird when it's not there now."

Hartley threw her a look of pure disbelief, mug settled in his lap. "Even though he sounds like a rusty buzzsaw on a sugar rush?"

Linda smothered a laugh. "In sickness and in health and in horribly sped-up snoring habits," Linda drawled, wiggling the fingers of her left hand to show off her wedding ring. "And my hearing isn't quite as sensitive as yours."

"Yes, but you share a bed with him. It's not like you can miss it even without my hearing aids."

"If he's snoring, it means he's there," Linda said. "Never thought it would end up being a comforting thing, but I guess it became one. Didn't even notice."

Linda sighed, staring into the sharp haze of the TV screen. Her eyes ached as they strained against the bright light in the dark. She probably should've brought her glasses downstairs with her.

A few hard blinks and she moved her attention to Hartley instead. She gave him a nudge with her elbow. "How're you doing? You okay?"

Hartley blinked. "Me? Oh, I'm fine. If anything I'm enjoying being back here for a bit."

"Even though it's out of necessity? And Wally snores?" Linda teased.

Hartley giggled. "Even then. Although it would have been nice if a speedster hadn't slammed through my building," he conceded with a grumble.

"You should've told Zoom about Wally's snoring. Maybe he would've spared your apartment."

Hartley snickered. " _'Oh, Zoom, please don't wreck my building or I'll have to move back in with my best friends and one of them snores something terrible.'_ You know, if anything that'd probably just encourage him."

"Never know, it might work," Linda joked quietly. "It'd be worth trying it just to see Zolomon's face."

Hartley sucked in a breath. " _'Worth it'_ \- famous last words when facing down a speedster." 

"Evil speedster," Linda reproved.

Hartley scoffed into his tea. "Have you ever tried to take food from one of the West-Allen clan? 'Worth it' is not the words I'd choose."

"Hey, I have wife priveleges - I get to steal fries off Wally's plate without losing fingers."

"You're kidding."

"Nuh-uh."

"Gah, all I got as his uncle's-turned-his-enemy-turned-good-and-eventual-best-friend-and-roomate - wow, never said _that_ out loud before - was him trying to steal my dinner. He'd race through his and then mine would be fair game."

Linda tutted. "And he considers the Rogues thieves."

"Mm, tell me about it. And Heaven help me if I tried to do the same. If I so much as looked as his leftovers, I bet--"

"That implies Wally leaves leftovers, Hart."

"--Fair point," Hartley conceded. Linda huffed out a tired laugh, head tipped back against the back of the sofa. The newsroom continued to cycle through clips from the day's news. 

"Anything worth watching?"

Linda shook her head. "Not really. Just stuck the news on. It was this or infomercials, and I see enough weird gadgets around Central and Keystone as it is."

"Anything come up about Wally?" Hartley asked gently.

"No, no, it hasn't hit the news yet," Linda sighed. "That's not bad though; no news is better than bad news."

"You're the one in the know."

They both sipped their drinks, watching the silent newsroom.

"You know he'll be okay, right?"

Linda inhaled slowly, watching the steam cresting the rim of her mug falter before blowing on her tea gently. She shifted her hands around her mug and set it on her knee, leaning her head against Hartley's shoulder.

"Yeah. I know."

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope you are well and I hope you enjoyed this. I have a couple more completed fics ready to post which should be appearing over the next few days, so watch this space! :D


End file.
